The Vietnam Tour: Pho Vietnam

The story below is from our May/June 2015 issue. For the full story download our FREE iOS app or view our digital edition for FREE today!

With four fine dining rooms featuring distinct and distinctive offerings, there appears to be a trend around Roanoke. Here's the take on Pho Vietnam.

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John Park

It’s time for me to make a mid-year prediction: 2015 is and will remain the year of Vietnamese cuisine in Roanoke. It’s been a slow storm brewing, with new restaurants opening every year since 2011, but the Star City is now home to four different diverse and delicious Vietnamese restaurants. Whether you’re looking for a steaming bowl of phở on a chilly evening or a quick lunch sandwich during the work week, whether you live in Vinton or Northeast Roanoke, options abound for a gustatory trip to Southeast Asia – all without hopping on a plane.

Never Say No to Noodles

Almost every culture lays claim to their own variation of noodles. Italy, of course, comes to mind first with its spaghetti, but there’s also a plethora of Asian noodles to explore. Vietnamese dishes often utilize rice noodles either as thin and stringy vermicelli or as thicker “stick” versions, but egg noodles are also common. Phở Vietnam, the second Vietnamese restaurant to open in Roanoke, takes the cake with the most diverse selection of noodle dishes in the city.

My favorite, by far, is their bún chả (#35), cold vermicelli noodles topped with grilled pork, carrot, cucumber, beansprouts, and lettuce, and served with a tangy, sweet fish sauce-based dressing. The refreshing noodles and vegetables are balanced perfectly with the charred, fatty pork, and its one of my favorite summer dishes.

For something a little different, try either the stir-fried flat rice noodles with seafood (#27) or the crispy egg noodles with shrimp, beef, and chicken (#31). From stir-fried noodles to the noodle salad styled bún, Phở Vietnam offers up a delicious selection of vegetable, meat, or seafood noodles for everyone to enjoy.

Pho Vietnam | 535 Orange Ave NE, Roanoke | 540-345-1110

... For the rest of our May/June issue, including the rest of the dining reviews, view our digital edition for FREE today or download our FREE iOS app!